2015 'COURY' Savagnin Rose
This was thought to be Gewurztraminer for the first fifty years that this vineyard was in existence. From my first visit to the David Hill Vineyard, I was obsessed with what was described to me as "a unique Gewurztraminer clone". Every year, I would ask to purchase this one lonely row of Gewurztraminer and each year I would be told "no". During the 2015 vintage I finally got my wish. I received the "unique Gewurztraminer" clone! I recall vividly that when the grapes came to me they were electric pink with a bit of purple hue. Honestly, at first I thought they gave me the wrong grapes. I was so concerned I took a picture of the grapes as evidence, just in case. As it turned out, that moment of uncertainty was a gift.
The "unique clone of Gewurztraminer" is actually Savagnin Rose (aka Roter Traminer, Klevener de Heiligenstein) and it is most certainly NOT Gewurztraminer. In fact, it is believed to be a very old grape and is the parent grape of both Savagnin Blanc and Gewurztraminer.
There is very little of this grape in the USA. You can add this grape to the list of the mysterious "Coury Clones".
No. Not Gewurztraminer.
For three years, every time I visited the David Hill Vineyard I would make my way to these row of vines. Every time. There was always something pulling me to take notice, observe, and walk in silence down this lowly, scraggly, ignored row.
WINE INFO
WINE TYPE: White
APPELLATION: Willamette Valley AVA
VINTAGE: 2015
GRAPE: Savagnin Rose
ESTATE GROWN: No, purchased grapes
VINEYARD SOURCE: David Hill Vineyard
VINEYARD AGE: 49 years old
DRY FARMED: Yes
OWN ROOTED: Yes
SOIL TYPE: Laurelwood (Loess)
ELEVATION: 490 feet (149m)
HARVEST DATE: October 6th, 2015
HARVEST METHOD: Hand Harvested
BRIX AT HARVEST: 22.1
SKIN CONTACT: None
CHAPTALIZATION: No
FERMENTATION: Ambient Yeast
MATURATION VESSEL: 228L DAMY
ALCOHOL (by volume): 12.50%
SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO₂): 72m/L
ACIDITY SCALE (pH): 3.25pH
TOTAL ACIDITY: 5.4 g/L
FINING AGENT: Unfined (Vegan)
BOTTLE SIZE: 750ml & 1.5L
CLOSURE TYPE: FineCorkX
FILTRATION: Unfiltered
HAND BOTTLED: Yes
PRODUCTION: 45 cases
BOTTLING DATE: August 4th, 2016
RELEASE DATE: May 7th, 2017 (at the Real Wine Fair, London, UK)
This wine was bottled in 🇺🇸 made glass, with a cork from 🇮🇹 and a label that was designed and printed in the 🇺🇸 .
Please ♻︎ this bottle when you are finished enjoying it.
